On another note ... I've been reading these boards for a couple days and something just hit me.

When all this started, I had pain in the lower left side of my abdomen, constipation, and blood in my urine. Our family doctor thought it was a bladder infection and gave me Cipro. I felt better ... then a month later ... it was back ... more blood in the urine, more Cipro.

After the third or fourth time, he said that although I had "lots" of blood in my urine (it looked like raspberry tea) that I didn't have enough bacteria in the urine to be considered an infection. That's when he sent me to a kidney specialist because he thought kidney stones were causing my problems.

So ... question ... could diverticulosis/itis cause blood in the urine? When everone was talking about blood with diverticulitis, I was assuming they meant blood in your stool ... ... what about urine?

Well I know in severe cases a fisure can form. This can be between the colon and the bladder and that could cause blood in the urine. This I beleive is pretty rare though. When people talk about blood and diverticulitis they are generally talking about blood in the stool. As for your age, mine came on in my late thirties so it can definitly happen at your age. Also one of the 2 drugs that are part of the standard treatment for diverticulitis flair ups is Cipro. The other is Flagyl. These are usually given in combination. I suppose that if it was a diverticular infection that the Cipro may have knocked it down for a while. I won't go any farther since I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV (or on message boards) Once again best of luck to you. PS I know a few people who have had the berriun enema tests and as with most things like that, the anticipation was much worst that the actual proceedure. So don't let that worry you too much.

I'm so sorry you have to have a resection, Reneta. I'll keep you in my prayers.

I'm not sure about the fever issue ... I haven't taken my temperature in the last couple years so I can't be sure. In the beginning, I'd have more of what you'd call "attacks" ... where it's starting hurting a little and then work into something awful. That's when my family doctor thought I was having bladder infections and he'd give me Cipro and in a couple days I'd feel better.

Now though, it just hurts so much, it's not so much an attack anymore. Now, I don't usually have that AWFUL pain (... like one time I woke up crying because it was so bad ...) ... but that "pinching" pain is there on the left side quite a bit and there are times it gets bad enough that I have to come home and just lay on the couch.

One thing you said sounds so familiar ... I want to just go home, lie on the couch perfectly still (on my right side) ... and I'm usually not hungry at all.

Sometimes it just aches ... but sometimes it's a sharp, stabbing pain too. I don't know ... but ... tommorrow I do the 24 hour prep and Wednesday I have the barium enema. Hopefully we'll know more after that.

My biggest fear is that they won't find anything at all ... frankly, I don't know what we'll do then. I've already been tested for kidney stones, endo, ovarian cancer, ovarian cysts, interstitial cystitis ... I mean, I'm not sure if there's anything left to look at if it's not a bowel problem. :( I alternate between being terrified and depressed. But ... hopefully we'll know more shortly ...